Holiday Wishes: Single mom studying in college after fleeing abuse

Jessica Love of St. Paul poses for a photo between classes at Saint Paul College in St. Paul on Tuesday, November 26, 2013. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

For 16 years, the Pioneer Press has teamed with Greater Twin Cities United Way to raise money for local families in need. The Pioneer Press shares their stories and hopes for the holiday season; United Way gives you a way to help make the families' wishes come true. Profiles of the families in this year's program will appear through Christmas Day. You can also find the stories -- and more on how to help -- at Gtcuw.org/holiday_wishes/.

Jessica Love looks serene as she sets down her backpack and settles into a comfy couch in the learning commons of St. Paul College on a recent Tuesday morning.

She's a struggling single mother and college student, but she feels rich.

"I've never been as content and happy as I am right now," says Love, 26, of St. Paul.

It took a crisis to get here.

"Jessica and her son, Thorin, came to our transitional housing program from a battered women's shelter in Plymouth," wrote Loriane McCarty, program manager at the YWCA of St. Paul, in her nomination of Love for Holiday Wishes.

Love, who grew up in Plymouth, left an abusive relationship in North Dakota to live closer to family. Still plagued by fear in the Twin Cities, though, she fled to a women's shelter for eight months.

"I didn't have to worry there," Love says. "I wasn't afraid anymore."

Love and her son, now 2 1/2, live in transitional housing through the YWCA St. Paul. The Y's program "combats homelessness by providing affordable housing and housing-related services for homeless single parents and their children. More than simply providing a place to live, our programs and services empower families to stabilize their lives, build new skills, decrease their dependency on emergency services and keep their families united and safe."

For Love, the shelter and the YWCA have provided her with a safety net.

"Rebuilding a life, while dealing with such trauma and a toddler, is not easy," McCarty wrote.

Jessica Love of St. Paul visits her 2-year-old son Thorin Fontenot in day care between classes at Saint Paul College in St. Paul on Tuesday, November 26, 2013. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

"But Jessica has utilized the support the program has provided and made the most of every opportunity afforded her."

Love's holiday wish is to keep rebuilding: She gets around by bus or on a rusty bicycle, which is not always easy in the winter, with a toddler in tow.

"We could really use a vehicle," she says.

Still, more than a year after returning to Minnesota, things are looking bright for Love: She's taking a full load of classes at St. Paul College, with the goal of finding work as a public health nurse. She has impressed those who know her through the school's work-study program.

"She's got her head screwed on straight," said Dawn Swanson, a support staffer at the college's health and services division.

Stability feels good, Love said.

"I feel safe," Love says. "I've got my son, and I have control over my life and what I do."

JESSICA LOVE'S HOLIDAY WISHES

-- Vehicle

-- Road bicycle

-- Martial-arts class to help calm and focus her active 2-1/2-year-old son

Mail: Send a check to Holiday Wishes, c/o Greater Twin Cities United Way, 404 Eighth St. S., Minneapolis, MN, 55404-1084. Checks should be made payable to United Way.

Phone: 612-340-7400

Guidelines: Donations by check or credit card are preferred. Please do not buy the family's specific wish list; instead, donate so families can buy what they need in the correct sizes. Checks made out to individuals cannot be accepted.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

Household: Donate furniture and household goods to the families by calling Bridging Inc. at 651-631-3255. Let them know you are donating to Holiday Wishes. Bridging is a nonprofit organization that helps families in transition. Donations may support the featured family or another local family or individual in need. Especially needed are beds, pillows and bed linens; dishes and silverware; kitchen tables and chairs; dressers; sofas and loveseats; lamps; and other necessities to set up a home when starting over. Learn more at Bridging.org.

Vehicles: Holiday Wishes handles families' requests for vehicles through the Transportation Solutions Loan Program, administered by Community Emergency Assistance Program. A local family, who has asked to remain anonymous, has once again pledged to help subsidize the transportation component of Holiday Wishes. Your donations also are needed to keep this program affordable for the low-income families.

Bicycles: Every year, Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles provides bicycles for Holiday Wishes families who request them. This year, the bicycle shop is hoping to fulfill a record number of wishes -- 60 bicycles for children and adults. The store, at 520 N. Prior Ave., St. Paul, is asking for volunteers with experience fixing bicycles to attend its annual Bicycle Blitz for Holiday Wishes 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Nov. 30. Volunteers should RSVP to Benita and Mike Warns at warns@pclink.com or 651-641-1037. Information about the shop and its unique mission is at Mmrbstore.com/.